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The Kid

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100% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Chaplin's first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him up but is left desolate when the orphanage reclaims him. Chaplin directed, produced and starred in the film, as well as composed the score.
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The Kid

The Kid

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Critics Consensus

Charles Chaplin' irascible Tramp is given able support from Jackie Coogan as The Kid in this slapstick masterpiece, balancing the guffaws with moments of disarming poignancy.

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Critics Reviews

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Grace Kingsley Los Angeles Times 06/25/2021
There's really no classifying The Kid. The best one can do is say that it has all the old melodramatic material, but so jazzed up with fun and with its drama so simply and humanly played, that it almost fools you into believing it is like life. Go to Full Review Mabel McElliott New York Daily News 05/17/2021
Jackie, legging it madly 'cross corners, is almost as good for box office purposes as our own Charles, playing the Artful Dodger to a Bowery bum. Go to Full Review Times (UK) Staff The Times (UK) 08/05/2020
Formerly it was the custom to say that Mr. Chaplin played down to the level of his audiences. Now it is to be hoped that he will lift his audiences up to this new level of his own. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jan 11
3/4
The Kid is less uproarious than later Chaplin efforts, serving more as a testing ground as it offers a charming yet tough-minded tale. Go to Full Review Carl Sandburg Chicago Daily News 03/28/2022
Those constant contenders who maintain that Charlie Chaplin is the master mummer of the movies and the world's greatest actor, either in the silent or the spoken drama, now have another exhibit to put forward in behalf of their argument. Go to Full Review Robert E. Sherwood LIFE 10/04/2021
Chaplin, as always, demonstrates the marvelous quality which, in the cinema world, is so exclusively his own -- the ability to be coarse without being offensive; to mix Rabelaisian wit with Chesterfieldian delicacy. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Nathan J. @NathanDirector 3d Rating: 8.9/10 ⭐️ I expected standard slapstick, but the raw emotional depth wrecked me. What Worked: Chaplin blends comedy blocking with emotional stakes perfectly, editing slapstick against the reality of poverty. Coogan is incredible; tight framing makes their bond feel super grounded. Through my Methodist faith lens, seeing the Tramp protect the Kid beautifully shows how loving someone through hard seasons is true grace. The Cuts: The Dreamland sequence really dragged for me, breaking the gritty vibe and causing total tonal whiplash. Keeping it spoiler-free, the mother’s storyline relies too much on coincidence, making her encounters feel forced. Plus, minor antagonists were so one-dimensional that the street fights felt cartoonish. Verdict: A hilarious classic that invented the dramedy. A must-watch for laughs and heartbreak, but skip if you strictly want goofy gags. Favorite Line: “Please love and care for this orphan child.” See more Sedale S. @sedale143 6d As a parent, this definitely hits me in the feels 😭 See more Garrett B @gmoney637 Mar 5 A funny and heartwarming feature starring the Tramp. See more Marce S @RT24248553 Sep 13 A beautiful and sweat Charlie Chaplin movie. The movies melancholy however makes it somewhat less rewatchable than other Chaplin movies See more Julian Rex M @Julian_M Aug 10 Perhaps not quite hitting the silly-sentimental stride as confidently as some of Charlie Chaplin's later work, The Kid is still a charming, thought-provoking, and technically dazzling outing that still holds plenty of comedic heft even a century later. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jun 7 Failure in 1 hour, due to the lack in sound and action!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Read all reviews
The Kid

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Cast & Crew

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Charlie Chaplin

Director

Charlie Chaplin

A Tramp

Jackie Coogan

The Kid

Edna Purviance

The Woman

Carl Miller

The Man

Granville Redmond

The Man's Friend (uncredited)

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The Kid

The Kid (1921) The Kid (1921) The Kid (1921) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Chaplin's first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him up but is left desolate when the orphanage reclaims him. Chaplin directed, produced and starred in the film, as well as composed the score.
Director
Charlie Chaplin
Producer
Charlie Chaplin
Screenwriter
Charlie Chaplin
Production Co
Charles Chaplin Productions
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 21, 1921, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 2, 2016
Runtime
1h 0m
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